Methods and compositions for treating laundry items

Abstract

A method of operation for a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment includes a pre-wetting phase, a wash phase, and a rinse phase and further includes a dye fixative phase, a first dye absorber phase, and a second dye absorber phase.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of operation for a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment, the method comprising:
 a pre-wetting phase where pre-wetting liquid is supplied to the treating chamber in an amount sufficient to wet laundry within the treating chamber; 
 a wash phase where a wash liquid comprising water and detergent having at least one surfactant is supplied to the treating chamber; 
 a rinse phase, following the wash phase, where rinse liquid is supplied to the treating chamber to rinse the laundry of the detergent; 
 a dye fixative phase where a dye fixative is supplied to the treating chamber such that the dye fixative reaches the laundry prior to the at least one surfactant reaching the laundry; 
 a first dye absorber phase where a first dye absorber is supplied to the treating chamber such that the first dye absorber reaches the laundry prior to the at least one surfactant reaching the laundry; and 
 a second dye absorber phase where a second dye absorber is supplied to the treating chamber such that the second dye absorber reaches the laundry after the at least one surfactant reaches the laundry. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the dye fixative phase precedes the wash phase. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein the dye fixative phase is contemporaneous with or after the pre-wetting phase. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  wherein the first dye absorber phase precedes or is contemporaneous with the wash phase. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein the second dye absorber phase is contemporaneous or after the rinse phase. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the dye fixative phase is contemporaneous with the pre-wetting phase; 
 the first dye absorber phase precedes the wash phase; and 
 the second dye absorber phase is contemporaneous with the rinse phase. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  further comprising a load amount determining phase where a determination is made of an amount of the laundry in the treating chamber. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein the load amount determining phase comprises executing an inertia load amount determination comprising a rotation of the treating chamber during the pre-wetting phase. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the amount of at least one of the dye fixative, first dye absorber, or second dye absorber is set based on the determined load amount. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein the dye fixative comprises a fabric softener. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first and second dye absorbers are the same. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  wherein there are multiple, sequential rinse phases. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein the second dye absorber phase is contemporaneous with at least the last of the multiple, sequential rinse phases. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  further comprising a second dye absorber phase for each of the multiple, sequential rinse phases. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1  further comprising a drain phase for draining at least one of the pre-wetting liquid, wash liquid or the rinse liquid from the treating chamber. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein the drain phase occurs after at least one of the pre-wetting phase, wash phase or rinse phase. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15  wherein a drain phase liquid comprises the dye fixative and further comprising passing the drained drain phase liquid through a filter to separate the dye fixative from the drain phase liquid. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17  further comprising resupplying the filtered drain phase to the treating chamber. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  further comprising repeating the drain phase, filter phase and the resupplying of the filtered drain phase liquid at least once. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1  wherein the dye fixative phase comprises introducing at least one of the pre-wetting liquid, was liquid or rinse liquid containing dye fixative into the treating chamber. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1  wherein the rinse liquid comprises water. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 1  further comprising a liquid extraction phase wherein at least one of the pre-wetting liquid, wash liquid or rinse liquid is extracted from the laundry. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22  wherein the liquid extraction phase occurs after at least one of the pre-wetting phase, wash phase or rinse phase. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22  further comprising supplying fresh water from a water supply to the treating chamber at least one of subsequent to the liquid extraction phase or prior to the liquid extraction phase. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  further comprising repeating the supplying fresh water from a water supply and the liquid extraction phase at least once. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 1  wherein the pre-wetting phase comprises supplying pre-wetting liquid to the treating chamber in an amount sufficient to wet, but not saturate, the laundry. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 1  wherein the detergent is one of free of anionic surfactants or free from anionic surfactants that are not sulfate-based surfactants. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 1  wherein an amount of at least one of the dye fixative, first dye absorber, or second dye absorber is set based on an amount of laundry, volume of at least one of liquid to be supplied to the treating chamber, or an amount of the at least one of the dye fixative, first dye absorber, or second dye absorber provided to a dispensing system of the laundry treating appliance. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 1  wherein the dye fixative comprises a polymer containing cationic functional groups selected from the group consisting of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines and their salts, quaternary ammonium and phosphonium salts, such as poly diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DADMAAC) and poly(acrylamide-co-diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride), polyacrylamide, and polyethyleneimine, polymers, monomers or surfactants selected from the group consisting of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), cetyl pyridinium bromide (CPB), and diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DADMAAC), or combinations thereof.